Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – May 14, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – May 14, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Tarpon, Kingfish, Snapper, Grouper

 
—It’s that time of year again. Tarpon are beginning to make a good show here in the bay, and on the beaches. Sight fishing with live bait is definitely the most exciting way to fish for these giants, although chunking with dead bait can produce days with double digit hookups. The tarpon bite seems to fade during the high sun hours around mid day, allowing for some great snapper, grouper, mackeral, and kingfish action on some of the nearshore reefs.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – April 19, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – April 19, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Snook, Seatrout, Redfish, Kingfish, Snapper, Grouper

 
—Inshore:

Good numbers of trout showing up on the grass flats, with the biggest fish coming from skinny water around mangroves. Redfish and flounder are around residential docks, and shiner or pinfish around pilings have produced this week.

Snook bite seems to be getting going. Catching plenty of schoolie sized fish, with a few slotties in the mix.

—Nearshore:

Mangrove snapper are still making a good showing on nearshore structure, along with plenty of throw-back gag grouper. Kingfish and sharks are beginning to make a show around schools of bait, gathering around local reefs/wrecks. Most action this week coming from 3 – 7 miles off the beach.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – January 9, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – January 9, 2015
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Hog Snapper, Grouper, Pompano

 
—Hope that everybody had a great New Year! Despite the poor weather lately, fishing has been good. Redfish and sheepshead have begun to show around docks and structure. Shrimp or fiddler crabs are a killer sheepshead bait, and when paired with shiners or small pinfish, you should be able to catch quite a few of both species. Pompano are also trickling in, and can be caught near sandy areas using jigs or shrimp.

—Offshore fishing has been productive, and we have been catching red and gag grouper, hog and mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and an occasional cobia or kingfish. Sharks are also still around, and are usually eager to eat a dead bait.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – November 17, 2015

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Captain Aaron Lowman – November 17, 2015
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Sharks, Grouper, Redfish

—This past week the wind has picked up. We have been able to fish a few days, but only in sheltered areas and close to shore. Although red tide is present, it is mainly South in Sarasota bay, so trolling for grouper has stayed productive. Redfish have begun to move to the docks. Sharks and mackerel have been roaming the beaches and large schools can be found following the thread fin herring.

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – Gag Grouper – November 13, 2015

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Captain Aaron Lowman – November 13, 2015
Tampa Bay Gag Grouper

—The warm weather has continued to hold, and the gag grouper have continued to bite well. Bait has stayed plentiful with the unusually late warmth, and pinfish and pilchards have been the bait of choice.